Twice As Nice & Double the Fun: an offsite October PTR where “2” is the magic number

[ArwenMarie]

Thanks Gina! Our next trip is all WDW, but maybe a 2017 one, I will have to consult with you on DC and SW. I know the kids would love it.

 

[pigletto]

Today is a dangerous day for me. I can feel it. All this talk of Christmas season trips and pictures of Disney, and reading positive threads about the great Disney trips people are having is making my credit card yell at me from my purse. "Hey!! Come take me out of here and we can book a trip for 2017!! C'mon.. you know you want to!!"

What's a girl to do? I desperately want to go back to Disney and Orlando next year. I think I need to stop reading on the Dis today. Or just go ahead and pick a date and book something for next year since we all know it's going to happen anyway. I would love for it to be Christmas time but December 2017 feels way too far away. Anyway, you guys just keep posting all these fun pictures and talking about December and then I can blame you when DH asks. I already blamed someone else in another thread as well. 2017 dates will be picked today. I can feel it in my trip planning bones.

 

[Monykalyn]

has given the Grande Vista

Probably our favorite resort. Can try to find pics later. We do love all the Marriotts though, although we haven't stayed at Harbour Lake recently. We found the 2 bedrooms at GV a bit small for the 5 of us (2 bed) but for 2 people a one bed is still spacious. I really liked Sabal Palms last year as you have access to all the new pools/slides at World Center as well, and the overall unit was bigger; The bathroom was huge - however it has a glass wall shower and with the cutout in the bathroom wall (high up like a transom) it made the bedroom very light at crack of dawn every day. Didn't bother me as I am up early every day on vacation anyway (I can sleep at home!)

We just had to renew our II memebership-offering 3 years for $227-good deal as they are getting ready to raise prices again. And apparently they now charge if you exchange for a unit larger than your own. We have a 3 bed/3bath to exchange so it shouldn't bother us much but for those who have 1 or 2 bed but need a larger unit when exchanging now have to pay upcharge fee. Deposited our next 2 years of our unit to try to get a Hawaii unit next July.

Sounds like your trip is coming together Gina!

 

[Gina-Gina-Bo-Bina]

Ooooh, if you do go and leave on the 24th of Decenber, we arrive the 22nd. So awesome if we could say hello in December and maybe even a quick hi in October. I will be crossing my fingers and toes all works out and Steve gets the time off.

Now, do I want to spend even more money on fruit and wine events? So tempted. Disney Visa is getting a workout.

Have a nice night.

LOL, I hear you on the credit card workout . My Mastercard has been so well-used lately (no exchange fee with Chase) I swear it might catch fire if we book a December trip. I'm piling up the points, that's for sure......my statement credit in November should be mighty substantial at the rate we're going!!

I will absolutely take you up on a Dismeet if our December dates get confirmed. Steve has promised me he will beg (if necessary) for that third week of December.....have I mentioned lately how much I simply love that man ? That said, we have a workable scenario (flights + accommodations) for all three weeks of that month, so surely ONE of the three will get approved. I would say "what are the chances of them refusing all three weeks?" but I don't want to jinx us .

Hi Gina:

I hop in rarely, but I just wanted to say that my "big-guy" and I did the gangster/flapper thing at a 2012 Disney Halloween party for my 50th, and it worked out really well! My guy is 5'10" and approximately 290lbs. He used to life weights in a big way so he still has a big chest and tree trunks for legs, although when you don't use the muscles like he did as a young man, welllll, let's just say gravity takes charge a bit!

Anyway, rather than trying to find a "canned" costume from a store that would fit, we ended up getting him black walking shorts, a short-sleeve black button down shirt, white tie, black runners with black socks, and the piece-de-resistance was a black leather fedora. We are just in the middle of moving, so accessing a pic right now is probably beyond reach at the moment, but thought I would share our "work-around". Once things settle a bit, I'll see if I can access a pic to show you.

I did buy a flapper outfit from a costume store (beads and boa included ), and many people commented on our outfits. So don't give up hope if you can't find a costume from a store. I am sure you could pull something "gangster-ish" together for Steve just using "regular" clothes.

Good luck!
Bev

Hi Bev! Good to have you joining in!

I definitely suspect that its going to be a hand-crafted costume or bust where Steve's gangster-wear is concerned. Lucky for us, the woman who owns the costume shop that we were at a couple of weeks ago is also a seamstress, so she has vowed to suit him up one way or another, even if she has to make the costume herself. She took all his measurements and promised to get working on the project over the summer. I think we will drop by again this week or next to see how she's making out. I know he was hoping for something pin-striped so we might be scouring Value Village for an old suit to modify.

It's times like this that I wish I had paid more attention in home economics class and actually learned how to sew!!

Thanks Gina! Our next trip is all WDW, but maybe a 2017 one, I will have to consult with you on DC and SW. I know the kids would love it.

You would love it.....and 2017 is not far off at all! If that's what you might be thinking about, definitely keep an eye on the Black Friday sales for some good AP discounts. You have a full year from purchase to activate them and the clock doesn't start ticking on your 365 validity window until the day of first use.

Today is a dangerous day for me. I can feel it. All this talk of Christmas season trips and pictures of Disney, and reading positive threads about the great Disney trips people are having is making my credit card yell at me from my purse. "Hey!! Come take me out of here and we can book a trip for 2017!! C'mon.. you know you want to!!"

What's a girl to do? I desperately want to go back to Disney and Orlando next year. I think I need to stop reading on the Dis today. Or just go ahead and pick a date and book something for next year since we all know it's going to happen anyway. I would love for it to be Christmas time but December 2017 feels way too far away. Anyway, you guys just keep posting all these fun pictures and talking about December and then I can blame you when DH asks. I already blamed someone else in another thread as well. 2017 dates will be picked today. I can feel it in my trip planning bones.

Have I told ya'll lately how much I appreciate you not only understanding, but also sharing, in my vacation crazies? Posts like yours just make my day: and for a fleeting little moment, I can almost feel normal. Almost .

I can't wait to hear which season you pick!

Probably our favorite resort. Can try to find pics later. We do love all the Marriotts though, although we haven't stayed at Harbour Lake recently. We found the 2 bedrooms at GV a bit small for the 5 of us (2 bed) but for 2 people a one bed is still spacious. I really liked Sabal Palms last year as you have access to all the new pools/slides at World Center as well, and the overall unit was bigger; The bathroom was huge - however it has a glass wall shower and with the cutout in the bathroom wall (high up like a transom) it made the bedroom very light at crack of dawn every day. Didn't bother me as I am up early every day on vacation anyway (I can sleep at home!)

We just had to renew our II memebership-offering 3 years for $227-good deal as they are getting ready to raise prices again. And apparently they now charge if you exchange for a unit larger than your own. We have a 3 bed/3bath to exchange so it shouldn't bother us much but for those who have 1 or 2 bed but need a larger unit when exchanging now have to pay upcharge fee. Deposited our next 2 years of our unit to try to get a Hawaii unit next July.

Sounds like your trip is coming together Gina!

Have you ever stayed at Marriott Cypress Harbour? I would be curious to know how it compares with Grande Vista.

They are raising prices for the II memberships? I need to renew mine before purchasing a getaway for December, assuming our travel dates get the thumbs up from Steve's employer. I was only thinking of one year but maybe I should consider a multi-year commitment? (one year is $89) We never use II for exchanges as we always use our two weeks at SVR, but the getaways are super nice to be able to take advantage of .

 

[Gina-Gina-Bo-Bina]

Attractions (part 2)


After SeaWorld, Discovery Cove, Aquatica and the MNSSHP’s, most of our other planned attractions and activities are quite a bit less intense in nature. They include:


The carriage ride at Fort Wildnerness: the $45 fee for a half-hour private ride around the resort grounds has been paid in full and our time reserved for after our dinner at Trails End. That’s our arrival day, and we both thought it would be a nice, relaxing way to end a busy travel day and kick off our two weeks of couple time. We considered the less expensive wagon ride ($8 each, no reservations accepted) but I liked the ability to pre-book and pre-pay in advance (it satisfies my need to plan) and I liked the privacy afforded to us by the private carriage. I can picture myself just laying my head on Steve’s shoulder and breathing in the night air as we trot along . If we’re not too dog-tired after our carriage ride is over, we will try and stay at the Fort to watch the Electric Water Pageant from the beach: we’ve never seen it before and have heard it’s worth a watch.


The Orlando Eye attractions: we had an unused three-attractions pass (Sea Life Aquarium, Madame Tussauds Wax Museum, and the Orlando Eye) from a previous trip that didn’t get used and we couldn’t get refunded, but Merlin’s customer service agreed to extend its validity indefinitely so we could use it on a future vacation. This one seemed to be a good time to do so. We purchased the second 3-attraction pass and will likely visit these venues on the days we have our dinner shows booked for the evenings. This will be our third ride on the Eye but only our second visit to Tussauds and Sea Life, the latter of which I’m particularly excited to have the opportunity tour again. It was Christmas when we visited initially and I’m hoping it will be less overrun with excited little folks . They also have some sort of back-stage tour at Sea Life that's only $5-ish pp, which might be a nice add-on if we have the time available. We'll make that call on the day we visit.


The Museum of Military History: something you may not know about my Steve and my Jake are that they are huge history buffs. HUGE . Where geography gets me all a-twitter, history sends my guys swooning, and oddly enough Steve has always wanted to visit the Museum of Military History in Kissimmee. It must have been fate that it was to happen on this trip, because not only are we within walking distance of this attraction when we are staying at Wyndham Cypress Palms, but I managed to pick up two tickets for a whopping $1 on Groupon (thanks to the discounted Groupon price, plus a 20% off promo code, plus a small Groupon credit that was applied to my account). It doesn’t really float my boat but Steve is delighted so I will happily humour him. Maybe I will be surprisingly captivated . I can’t imagine it will take more than an hour or two at most, so we’ll likely slide in our visit on our dedicated resort day at WCP…..maybe after our lunch at Chili’s, also within walking distance of the front gates of the resort.


Oktoberfest at Celebration: can I admit that I’m really quite pumped for this event? I love those kinds of little seasonal community celebrations, and the German-inspired food and entertainment look like a great way to spend a Friday night (add in the fact that it’s free and wow, what a bonus! ). We have no other plans for dinner that night so we will feast on the traditional German dishes and maybe enjoy Kilwin’s for dessert since it gets such rave reviews. Event highlights are reported to include hay rides and music and falling leaves on Main Street (you can see last year’s event line up here: http://celebrationtowncenter.com/events/oktoberfest-2015/). It’s only offered one weekend a year, so it would be a shame for us to miss it….something new and different. I just hope the weather doesn’t give us grief, because I can see us taking a pass if it turns out to be a rainy night.


Disney Springs: a whole new section of Disney Springs has opened since we last visited there at Christmas, so we would both like to go and check it out at some point on our trip. I don’t know if there’s anything specific we really plan to do there (the Characters in Flight balloon ride is still on my Orlando bucket list, but my fear of heights has stopped me from taking the leap to purchase tickets thus far……every time I see them being offered yet again on Groupon, I must admit I’m sorely tempted) but I would like to at least check out the new Coke Store and maybe grab a cupcake from Sprinkles to share. We can always spend an evening here after one of our DC days (if we’re too waterlogged to do any more swimming at the resort) or pop over on one of our resort days.


I don’t know if the dinner shows should be discussed here or under a dining heading (they really seem to fit into both categories) so maybe I’ll give them an entry all their own. Tomorrow .

86 days and counting .

 

[ArwenMarie]

Yes, that's a good idea about Black Friday. Will have to keep my eye out for that.

I suspect you guys would like Cypress Harbor better. We stay at Grande Vista because it has 3 bedroom units (heaven!) but Cypress Harbor is a bit smaller and I've read that the landscaping is prettier. I haven't stayed there, but I've read a lot of Marriott owners prefer Cypress Harbor to GV. A lot of it depends on the room and bed configuration you need and Cypress Harbor is much more limited in that way, but that isn't a problem for the two of you

 

[Mrs Doubtfire]

Great updates. The carriage ride sounds good and you will get to see all the decorations as you go round the campground. Please remember to take notes at the museum rather than snoozing on a nearby bench!!

Celebration is lovely, we will be going at Christmas, I am sure you will have a great time.

 

[dancin Disney style]

As for needing a friend with an II membership ... what am I, chopped liver?

Nope, my little Krispy Kreme puff you shall be. So who came up with the expression 'chopped liver' anyway? It's just so odd, I could understand chopped cheesecake.

Were you thinking of a squeezing in a trip in the coming months? If you want, I'd be happy to look up prices for ya.....just let me know what month/week and I will see what's available.

I so wish another winter vacation was on the horizon but it's not even a thought I could entertain at this moment. Currently, we've got some pretty serious turmoil to wade through, if at all. DH's company was recently sold to a very large group from out west. Things have not gone well and little by little bombs are being dropped. There was just another one a couple of days ago that really affects our family. I'm sad, I'm angry etc., etc. Even though it's not my job I'm pretty down in the dumps about it. My current doom and gloom has me wishing we hadn't booked Cuba. DH as been putting the word out that he's looking to move to a new company but things don't open up all that often in his field. It just feels like his last 10 years are now down the tubes. Probably, TMI, sorry.


Back to our regularly scheduled program.....
Celery has negative calories. It takes more calories to eat a stalk than it had to start with.

 

[pigletto]

Nope, my little Krispy Kreme puff you shall be. So who came up with the expression 'chopped liver' anyway? It's just so odd, I could understand chopped cheesecake.


I so wish another winter vacation was on the horizon but it's not even a thought I could entertain at this moment. Currently, we've got some pretty serious turmoil to wade through, if at all. DH's company was recently sold to a very large group from out west. Things have not gone well and little by little bombs are being dropped. There was just another one a couple of days ago that really affects our family. I'm sad, I'm angry etc., etc. Even though it's not my job I'm pretty down in the dumps about it. My current doom and gloom has me wishing we hadn't booked Cuba. DH as been putting the word out that he's looking to move to a new company but things don't open up all that often in his field. It just feels like his last 10 years are now down the tubes. Probably, TMI, sorry.


Back to our regularly scheduled program.....
Celery has negative calories. It takes more calories to eat a stalk than it had to start with.

Not sure if you are the hugging type but I'm sending one anyway. I'm sorry. That situation sounds dreadful and I know what a killer the anxiety of the unknown is. I hope somehow things are straightened out for you quickly.

Gina, your plans in Celebration sound fabulous! We loved our evening in Celebration. We had a lovely relaxed dinner at Cafe D'Antonio. I would go back in a heartbeat. Next time we go (and there will be a next time) we will be eating at Columbia and strolling around like we had planned. We couldn't this time because of the torrential downpour on the night we visited. Celebration gave me sort of a downtown Niagara on the Lake vibe. It's quaint and extremely charming. Much smaller than NOTL though.

I asked DH when in 2017 he would like to go back. He surprised me by saying he wants to go last week of October into November again in 2017 to do Food and Wine, MNSSHP, and a MVMCP. It's hard to get him to have any sort of strong vacation preference , including dates, so I was a little taken aback by his wanting to hit the trifecta of Disney events . It sounds like a fabulous idea, but dd couldn't come (which is more likely to be the case on future trips anyway) and DS isn't a fan of missing any school. Ds does well in school and it wouldn't be the end of the world to miss , but when your 12 year old says that he would prefer to go when there were crowds than catch up on homework when he got back, it matters. However, he's never seen a real Disney CROWD. So I'm still mulling it over. It might be back to summer trips for us. I promised to have dates picked by the end of the day though.. so I'm keeping that promise .

 

[dancin Disney style]

Not sure if you are the hugging type but I'm sending one anyway. I'm sorry. That situation sounds dreadful and I know what a killer the anxiety of the unknown is. I hope somehow things are straightened out for you quickly.

I will take a hug any time. Thanks.

 

[Lynne G]

Oh Dancin, sending a hug too. That's awful. Sending good thoughts that all is good soon.

Sounds like some great plans Gina. The carriage ride sounds like a nice time to snuggle and enjoy the campgrounds. I've only seen the Electric Water Pageant twice, or maybe even more, but from the Poly beach and boat dock. It is cute, and quick. And hmmm, my DS is a huge history buff. Maybe I'll keep an eye out on Groupon to see if that museum is available during our stay. I am sure he'd like to spend an hour or two in even a small museum. We'll try to get to Disney Springs one of the days too. It has changed so much. I parked in the Orange Garage last year, and I was amazed at all the work being done with the parking.

Well, it's Wednesday,

just a little minion reminder.

 

[Gina-Gina-Bo-Bina]

Nope, my little Krispy Kreme puff you shall be. So who came up with the expression 'chopped liver' anyway? It's just so odd, I could understand chopped cheesecake.


I so wish another winter vacation was on the horizon but it's not even a thought I could entertain at this moment. Currently, we've got some pretty serious turmoil to wade through, if at all. DH's company was recently sold to a very large group from out west. Things have not gone well and little by little bombs are being dropped. There was just another one a couple of days ago that really affects our family. I'm sad, I'm angry etc., etc. Even though it's not my job I'm pretty down in the dumps about it. My current doom and gloom has me wishing we hadn't booked Cuba. DH as been putting the word out that he's looking to move to a new company but things don't open up all that often in his field. It just feels like his last 10 years are now down the tubes. Probably, TMI, sorry.


Back to our regularly scheduled program.....
Celery has negative calories. It takes more calories to eat a stalk than it had to start with.

I am so sincerely sorry to hear about the job concerns for your DH . There are few things more unsettling than employment uncertainty: we can totally appreciate all the worry and stress that accompanies it (Steve works for a manufacturing facility that supplies parts for the Big 3, and when the auto industry crisis hit in 2008, our future hung in the balance). We are saying lots of prayers for you that brighter and more secure things are ahead for your family. And of course, here's a hug from me too:

(for the record, as a non-touchy-feely person by nature, for the most part I much prefer the virtual internet hugs to the more physical ones.......I'm a bit of a hands-off kind of girl, you could say. But for you, I would make an exception )

A family trip to Cuba might be the best thing you could have done. With so many stresses on your shoulders, I'm guessing you are all well overdue for some uninterrupted, relaxing family time together. And with an all-inclusive, you won't need to worry about any unplanned extra expenses while you are there. Go, and have a GREAT time. You guys deserve that.

Oh.....and I love the Krispy Kreme Puff title . I've always wanted to be someone's cream puff .

You can keep your chopped cheesecake. I would rather eat chopped liver. And as to the origin of that phrase:

http://www.phrases.org.uk/bulletin_board/16/messages/558.html

Not sure if you are the hugging type but I'm sending one anyway. I'm sorry. That situation sounds dreadful and I know what a killer the anxiety of the unknown is. I hope somehow things are straightened out for you quickly.

Gina, your plans in Celebration sound fabulous! We loved our evening in Celebration. We had a lovely relaxed dinner at Cafe D'Antonio. I would go back in a heartbeat. Next time we go (and there will be a next time) we will be eating at Columbia and strolling around like we had planned. We couldn't this time because of the torrential downpour on the night we visited. Celebration gave me sort of a downtown Niagara on the Lake vibe. It's quaint and extremely charming. Much smaller than NOTL though.

I asked DH when in 2017 he would like to go back. He surprised me by saying he wants to go last week of October into November again in 2017 to do Food and Wine, MNSSHP, and a MVMCP. It's hard to get him to have any sort of strong vacation preference , including dates, so I was a little taken aback by his wanting to hit the trifecta of Disney events . It sounds like a fabulous idea, but dd couldn't come (which is more likely to be the case on future trips anyway) and DS isn't a fan of missing any school. Ds does well in school and it wouldn't be the end of the world to miss , but when your 12 year old says that he would prefer to go when there were crowds than catch up on homework when he got back, it matters. However, he's never seen a real Disney CROWD. So I'm still mulling it over. It might be back to summer trips for us. I promised to have dates picked by the end of the day though.. so I'm keeping that promise .

I am so happy to hear your feedback on Celebration! I am now even more excited for that night!

Niagara-on-the-Lake is one of my favourite little towns. It just oozes charm from every corner. If I ever win the lottery, I'm getting a summer house in NOTL and a winter home in Florida . The best of both worlds.

So, you know we're all waiting.......did you pick your dates?!?!? Did summer or autumn win out?

Oh Dancin, sending a hug too. That's awful. Sending good thoughts that all is good soon.

Sounds like some great plans Gina. The carriage ride sounds like a nice time to snuggle and enjoy the campgrounds. I've only seen the Electric Water Pageant twice, or maybe even more, but from the Poly beach and boat dock. It is cute, and quick. And hmmm, my DS is a huge history buff. Maybe I'll keep an eye out on Groupon to see if that museum is available during our stay. I am sure he'd like to spend an hour or two in even a small museum. We'll try to get to Disney Springs one of the days too. It has changed so much. I parked in the Orange Garage last year, and I was amazed at all the work being done with the parking.

Well, it's Wednesday,

just a little minion reminder.

Love the Wednesday minion! Happy Hump Day, everyone!

I have seen the Groupon for the Military History museum for quite some time now, so I think the odds are in your favour that it will be still be running for your December trip. According to the TripAdvisor reviews (which are all excellent, for the most part), the entire staff are retired members of the military so I am pretty confident that even I, with my limited historical interest, will likely find it rather interesting (and learn a little, to boot).

I definitely won't be complaining if the Electric Water Pageant isn't too lengthy.....since that's our arrival day, I'm guessing we will be pretty tuckered out by the time that rolls on past Fort Wilderness. We may even poop out before it gets there.....if the carriage ride is TOO relaxing, that just might end up being the end of our night! I am sure our 7:23 am flight might be catching up with us by then .

 

[pigletto]

I think dates are picked. Still not sure. I don't want to bore you but ..I will lol. Here are the options..

1.March Break 2017 (expensive and crowded but a nice getaway from winter)

2. Last week of August 2017 (surface of the sun hot but we can handle it, free dining almost always available that week and DH would like to try it again, other option is the agency exclusive at the unnameable travel agency that would make the Poly or the Beach Club very affordable that week only. DH LOVES the Epcot resorts. DD might be able to come depending on work schedule.) The only drawback is that we are planning to go to Banff for a week in July. So both of our vacations for the year would be in the summer with nothing the rest of the year.

3. Week before Christmas 2017. That's my least favourite option because though it's my favourite time of year, it has me waiting a year and half to go back and I have the patience of a 6 year old.

Feel free to vote lol.

ETA ) Decision has been made. It's Door Number 2. We'll just have our trips for 2017 close together. Back to the surface of the sun I go !

 

[Disneylover99]

Octoberfest at Celebration sounds like a great time!
And the leaves are even scheduled to fall....you can't beat that!

 

[toystoryduo]

I will take a hug any time. Thanks.
View attachment 182807

I'm sorry about your DH's work situation, dancin! My DH has had a really rough year work wise too. It's so hard sometimes! Sending many , , and prayers for you and your family.

 

[toystoryduo]

Love the plans for the attractions, Gina! Any word on your possible December trip yet?

 

[bankr63]

Gina,

The plans sound (moderately) more relaxing than normal; I'm sure that will probably change... Nice to see you fitting in something new like always; I don't think I have ever heard of the Museum of Military History; will look forward to the report on that one.

Dancin,

The chauffeur is strictly prohibited from hugging the passengers, but I will say a prayer for you and DH. Our organization is going through similar turmoil; but most of the pain won't hit until April - everyone here is on tenterhooks (my word of the day).

 

[Ruthie5671]

The carriage ride at Fort Wildnerness: the $45 fee for a half-hour private ride around the resort grounds has been paid in full and our time reserved for after our dinner at Trails End. That’s our arrival day, and we both thought it would be a nice, relaxing way to end a busy travel day and kick off our two weeks of couple time. We considered the less expensive wagon ride ($8 each, no reservations accepted) but I liked the ability to pre-book and pre-pay in advance (it satisfies my need to plan) and I liked the privacy afforded to us by the private carriage. I can picture myself just laying my head on Steve’s shoulder and breathing in the night air as we trot along . If we’re not too dog-tired after our carriage ride is over, we will try and stay at the Fort to watch the Electric Water Pageant from the beach: we’ve never seen it before and have heard it’s worth a watch.

Do you have a link for this or did you call to make this reservation? I have one evening for our trip that is considered "date night" and I'd love to surprise DH with something like this. He would love it.

 

[Raeven]

Do you have a link for this or did you call to make this reservation? I have one evening for our trip that is considered "date night" and I'd love to surprise DH with something like this. He would love it.

We're doing one too, and I had to call to make it. If you google "carriage ride disney fort wilderness" it'll come up and the page tells you call the tour line.

 

[Gina-Gina-Bo-Bina]

I think dates are picked. Still not sure. I don't want to bore you but ..I will lol. Here are the options..

1.March Break 2017 (expensive and crowded but a nice getaway from winter)

2. Last week of August 2017 (surface of the sun hot but we can handle it, free dining almost always available that week and DH would like to try it again, other option is the agency exclusive at the unnameable travel agency that would make the Poly or the Beach Club very affordable that week only. DH LOVES the Epcot resorts. DD might be able to come depending on work schedule.) The only drawback is that we are planning to go to Banff for a week in July. So both of our vacations for the year would be in the summer with nothing the rest of the year.

3. Week before Christmas 2017. That's my least favourite option because though it's my favourite time of year, it has me waiting a year and half to go back and I have the patience of a 6 year old.

Feel free to vote lol.

ETA ) Decision has been made. It's Door Number 2. We'll just have our trips for 2017 close together. Back to the surface of the sun I go !

Yay for deciding on a date!! Don't give the heat a second thought: you have gone before and had a blast so you know that trip will be equally as awesome . And hey, you don't need to worry about if it will be warm enough to swim . It would be really, really great if your DD could be there too: as a Mom myself, I definitely know how important it is to ensure our older kids are able to be included if at all possible.

Octoberfest at Celebration sounds like a great time!
And the leaves are even scheduled to fall....you can't beat that!

It definitely sounds like its a great weekend event . I am looking forward to the release of the event details: who is performing, what activities will be offered, that kind of thing. We've always wanted the chance to tour the community that Disney built, so this seemed like the perfect chance. It sure will be odd to see "falling leaves" when its still 80+ degrees outside and lushly green, though!!

Love the plans for the attractions, Gina! Any word on your possible December trip yet?

The December trip is a Definite Maybe . Well, no......perhaps an Almost Certainty is a better description?

Steve's 99% sure he can get at least one of the weeks off (December 3-10, December 10-17, or December 17-24). The latter is our preference. We have airfare and accommodations lined up within our budget for each of the three weeks, each which differs a tiny bit depending on which week we are looking at. As soon as he can get his vacation days approved, we are full speed ahead: his boss, however, isn't back in the office from HIS vacation until next week. So, we are sitting and waiting and praying that the affordable airfare we are currently seeing holds out until we are able to book our flights once our dates are fully confirmed. The waiting is killing me, I must admit: each day we have to wait seems like 10 .

Gina,

The plans sound (moderately) more relaxing than normal; I'm sure that will probably change... Nice to see you fitting in something new like always; I don't think I have ever heard of the Museum of Military History; will look forward to the report on that one.

Dancin,

The chauffeur is strictly prohibited from hugging the passengers, but I will say a prayer for you and DH. Our organization is going through similar turmoil; but most of the pain won't hit until April - everyone here is on tenterhooks (my word of the day).

Ugh, sorry to hear there are job concerns on your end, too . I hope your position isn't one of the vulnerable ones. Sometimes it doesn't feel like ANY job is safe anymore.

Our schedule will absolutely, positively NOT get any more busy than it currently sits: I have vowed to Steve that we will have downtime on this vacation (the whole reason for a two-week getaway versus 7 days) and I plan to hold myself to that. Oddly enough, I'm excited to do absolutely nothing from time to time LOL. That's something new all on its own!!

Do you have a link for this or did you call to make this reservation? I have one evening for our trip that is considered "date night" and I'd love to surprise DH with something like this. He would love it.

We booked by calling: 407-WDW-PLAY. Have your credit card ready as full payment is due at the time of booking .

We're doing one too, and I had to call to make it. If you google "carriage ride disney fort wilderness" it'll come up and the page tells you call the tour line.

For anyone else who wants the info on the carriage rides, you can find it here:

https://disneyworld.disney.go.com/recreation/carriage-rides/